Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-12-09


her. AWAIT a moment, Lady Montbarry;
have something TO ask on my slde'
Lady Montbarry paused on the instant
silently submissive as il she had heard q
word Of command. Henry drew Agnes away
20 the other end Of the room and demonstrated
with her.
"You do wrong to call that person back"
no said
"No," Agnes whispered, II have had time
to remember
~To remember whatp
ITO remember Ferraris wife; Lady Mont
barry may have heard something of the lost
man,
LADY Montbarry may have heard, but she
won't tell"
at may be so, Henry, but for Emily's sake
! must try" Henry yielded.
"Your kindness is inexhaustible," he said,
with his admiration Of her kindling in his
eyes. always thinking OF others; never OF
YOURSELF"
Meanwhile Lady Montbarry waited with a
resignation that could endure any delay.
Agnes returned to her, leaving Henry by
himself. "Pardon me for keeping you wait
Ing" she said, in her gentle, courteous way.
sYou have spoken Of Ferrari. wish to speak
Of him, too"
Lady MontbaIry bent her head in silence.
Her hand trembled as she took out her hand
kerchief and passed it over her forehead.
+! Agnes detected the trembling and shrunk
back step as the subject painful to your
she asked, timidly.
Still SILENT Lady Montbarry invited her by
wave of the hand to go on. Henry APP
preached attentively watching his sisser-in-
law. Agnes went on:
"No trace OF Ferrari has been discovered in
England, she said. "Have you any news OF
hint And will you tell me df you have
heard anything, in mercy TO his wifep
Lady Montbarry's thin lips suddenly re-
Taxed into their sad and cruel smile.
"Why do you ask mo about the lost
courierln she said. "You will know what has
become OF him, Miss Lockwood, when the
time is ripe forit"
Agnes started a don't understand you, "
she said. "How shall knowl WIN some
one tell mel"
"Some ono will tell you"
Henry could keep silence no longer. "Per-
haps your ladyship may be the person, I" he
interrupted, with ironical politeness.
She answered him with contemptuous ease:
HYou may be right, Mr.. Westwick. One day
or another l may be the person who tells
Miss lockwood what has become OF Ferrari,
if"-
She stopped, with her eyes fixed on Agnes.
an what" Henry asked.
AT Miss Lockwood forces me to its
Agnes listened in astonishment "Forco
you to It'll" abe repeated. SLOW can do
thati Do you mean to say my will Is stronger
than yoursr
sDo you moan to say that the candle doesn't
burn the moth when the moth flies into itr'
Lady Montbarry rejoined. "Have you ever
heard of such thing as the fascination OF
terrori lam drawn to you by fascination
Of terror. have no right to visit you.
have no wish to visit you; you arc my enemy.
For the first time in my life, against my own
WILL, submit to my enemy. Seel am wait
ing because you told me to wait; and the fear
Of you Il swear III creeps through me while
atand here. Oh, don't let me excite your Gu
riosity or your pityl Follow the example Of
Mr.. Westwick Be hard and brutal and I'M
forgiving, like him. Grant me my release;
tell me to go.'
Tho frank and simple nature of Agnes
could discover but one Ineligible meaning
In this strange outbreak.
sYou are mistaken In thinking me your
enemy" she said. ~The wrong you did me
when you gave your hand to Lord Montbarry
was not Intentionally done. forgave you
my sufferings in his lifetime. forgive you
even more now that he has gone"
Henry heard her with mingled emotions Of
admiration and distress. 'Say no moreIH he
exclaimed. lyon are too good to her; she is
not worthy Of It."
The interruption passed UNDECIDED by Lady
Montbarry. The simple words In which
Agnes had replied seemed TO have absorbed
the whole attention of this strangely change
able woman. As she listened, her face set
tied slowly into an expression of hard and
fearless sorrow. There was a marked change
in her voice when she spoke next 1t ex-
pressed that last, worst resignation which has
done with hope
aYou good, innocent creature she said;
Hwhat does your amiable forgiveness matteri
What are your poor little wrongs In the reck-
ouing for greater wrongs which is demanded
OF mel / am not trying TO brighten you; !
am only miserable about myself. Do you
know what it is to have firm presentiment
OF calamity that is coming to you, and yet to
hope that your own positive conviction will
not prove truel When l first met you, be-
fore my marriage, and first felt your influ-
ence over me, had that hope. 1t was a
starveling sort of hope that lived a lingering
life in me until today. You struck it dead
when you answered my question about Fer
rari."
GHow have destroyed your hopesF Agnes
asked. "What connection is there between
my permitting Ferrari to use my name to
Lord MontbarTy and tho strange and dread
full things you are saying to me nowi"
"The time is near, Miss Lockwood, when
you will discover that for yourself. In the
meanwhile, you shall know what my fear Of
you is in the plainest words can find. On
the day when took your hero from you and
blighted your life-I am firmly persuaded OF
it-you were made the instrument OF the re-
tribution that my sins Of many years had de-
served. Oh, such things have happened be-
fore today. One person has before now been
the means of innocently ripening the growth
OF evil in another. You have done that al
ready-and you have more " do yet. You
have still to bring mo to the day Of discov-
cry, and TO the punishment that is my doom.
We shall meet again-here in England or
there In Venice, where my husband died, and
meet for the last time"
In spite Of her better sense, In spite Of hel
natural superiority to superstitions OF al
kinds, Agnes was impressed by the terrible
earnestness with which those words were
spoken She turned pale as she looked al
Henry. SDo you understand horp sh'